It’s been over a decade since I was employed as an organization’s in-house grant professional, and there are some aspects of that particular brand of work life that I really do miss. It should come as no surprise to our long-time subscribers that I LOVED interacting...
When you are an employee charged with fundraising through grant proposal development, what are your roles and responsibilities? Your position in the org chart, who you report to, and your role as a leader all affect your ability to build a grants team and a successful...
What is a grant proposal other than a string of words that describe, show, influence, educate, and move mountains? In 2025 we started to see a dramatic shift in language found in executive orders, grant guidelines, and more. Are some words really banned? And if so,...
Earlier this month I read my very first Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) delivered by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). Mind you, I’ve been reading and responding to federal grant guidance since 2001, and I’ve decided to put IMLS in charge of...
My senior year of high school I served as a senior class officer, because of course I did, and one of our jobs was to pick our senior class quote. Not really sure why we needed one. It was printed in our graduation announcements, but other than that, we never really...
In part 2 of the state of federal grants, we’re focusing on the implications of 2025 and how we can move forward. Tremendous cuts to federal research, disruption of essential human services, and a halt to services for at-risk individuals hit communities hard. It’s not...
When it comes to federal grant funding, a lot went wrong in 2025. We’re kicking off a two-part series, with this episode focusing on how we got here. Policy shifts and administrative changes transformed federal grant making seemingly overnight, but many of these...
Happy New Year HayDay Community! Each year, I pick a word of the year. One for me to ruminate on, put into action, and simply help set the tone for the kind of year I want to have. I’ve been having a very hard time finding the right word for 2026, but as I was gearing...
As this year draws to a close, I am thinking about what’s to come in 2026. I have always loved the slower pace between Christmas and New Years. (Although will things be slower this year?) It gives me an opportunity to plan and organize. Here’s what’s on my agenda this...
NOTE: This month, we’re sharing our mistakes were made episode with all our listeners – the free podcast community and our patreon subscribers. If you’re not a member of our patreon, we hope you enjoy this glimpse behind the curtain. This is a great example of our...
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